Electrical Stimulation Of Leg Muscles Research Articles

Results of functional electrical stimulation of leg muscles during walking in a patient in the early recovery period after a stroke

Acute cerebrovascular accident throughout the world remains the main cause of subsequent disability in persons who have suffered a stroke.
 One promising area is neuromuscular stimulation. Functional electrical stimulation is a subtype of neuromuscular stimulation in which stimulation promotes functional and goal-oriented movements in the individual.
 A course of functional electrical stimulation was administered while walking to a 74-year-old patient in the late recovery period of an ischemic stroke (the right middle cerebral artery). 14 procedures were performed lasting from 20 to 30 minutes. Before and after the functional electrical stimulation course, a clinical study and a study of the biomechanics of walking were conducted.
 The results obtained showed an improvement in clinical indicators, inconsistent changes in the time parameters of the step cycle, an increase in amplitudes in the hip and knee joints, as well as normalization of the function of the knee and ankle joints of the paretic side. Functional EMG research showed both an improvement in muscle activity and normalization of their activity profile, as well as processes of function restructuring that require further study.
 During functional electrical stimulation, there were no negative reactions from the patient or irritation of the skin at the locations of the electrodes.
 The method of functional electrical stimulation requires further study and reasonable application in this category of patients.

Counter Pulsation by Triggered Electrical Stimulation of Leg Muscles for Chronic Heart Failure Treatment

Article Counter Pulsation by Triggered Electrical Stimulation of Leg Muscles for Chronic Heart Failure Treatment was published on September 7, 2013 in the journal Biomedical Engineering / Biomedizinische Technik (volume 58, issue SI-1-Track-B).

Effect of electrical stimulation of leg muscles on physiological responses during arm-cranking exercise in healthy men.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that changes in physiological responses during arm-cranking exercise using electrical stimulation of the leg muscles (ACE-ES) compared to arm-cranking exercise alone (ACE) in able-bodied subjects (ABS) are based on an increase in active muscle mass rather than the enhancing effect of the leg muscle pump. In ABS the sympathetic nervous system induced vasoconstriction and activity of the leg muscle pump are intact, therefore, a normal redistribution of blood takes place during exercise. Consequently, ES should have no additional effect on the redistribution of blood in these ABS during exercise and, thus, changes in physiological responses will be based on an increase in active muscle mass. A group of 11 ABS performed three maximal arm-cranking tests. In the first test peak power output (POpeak) was determined. The other tests were both submaximal and maximal ACE, once with ACE-ES and once with ACE. The POpeak was not significantly different between ACE-ES and ACE. Oxygen uptake (VO2) increased significantly during ACE-ES compared to ACE. Cardiac output (Qc), stroke volume (SV), heart rate and ventilation were not significantly different during ACE-ES compared to ACE. Respiratory exchange ratios were significantly lower during ACE-ES compared to ACE at 60% POpeak and at maximal exercise. In conclusion, ACE-ES caused significant increases in VO2 with a lack of elevation in Qc and SV during submaximal and maximal exercise in ABS. The results of this study suggest that changes in physiological responses during ACE-ES are based on an increase in the active muscle mass rather than stimulation of the leg muscle pump.

Force, pain and electrode size in the electrical stimulation of leg muscles.

IN patients with paralysed limbs, the existing musculature might be used as the motor drive if suitably programmed stimuli were applied directly to the muscles or to the motor nerves. Our particular concern is with this problem and with the development of devices to make possible the locomotion of patients with totally paralysed lower limbs.